Next-Generation Running Gear: Track Test

PopularMechanics.com hits the asphalt to break down the latest rush of (pricey) fitness gadgetry. After two weeks on the course, we find the "running system" worth its weight on your feet -- whether youÂ're in marathon training or out for a morning stroll.

With companies like Adidas, Apple and Motorola pumping out a mishmash of hybrid gadgets from GPS cellphones to heart-rate shirts, the biggest current trend in fitness technology—the rise of "running systems"—has left even marathoners mystified: Do flashy calculators from big-name brands warrant paying hundreds of dollars? How advanced a runner need you be to justify buying one? Are the built-in pedometers and GPS units even accurate? We sent two of our fittest to New York's Central Park for two chilly weeks worth of testing, suited up with six of the top running systems and plenty of skepticism:

GP$: Is It Worth It?
If you're going to drop a couple hundred bucks on your triathlon training, that running package better work perfectly. But GPS perfection comes at a cost: Lost signals, system malfunctions and botched calibration are, sadly, common occurrences on a sliding scale of accuracy that, for the most part, goes up the more you pay. Here's how our GPS measurements stacked up in some 25 miles of repeats around the same 1.73-mile loop:ProductPriceDistance
(best)Accuracy (%)
MotoKRZR
$209*
1.73
100
Adidas-Polar
$675
1.79
96.6
Suunto
$280
1.66
96
Nike+iPod
$279
1.83
94.6
ADEO
$150
1.20
70
Timex
$350
(No Signal)
N/A

* There is a monthly fee for BiMactive.com, and the price reflects cost after you sign up for monthly phone service.